Chasidut zu Schemot 28:29
וְנָשָׂ֣א אַ֠הֲרֹן אֶת־שְׁמ֨וֹת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל בְּחֹ֧שֶׁן הַמִּשְׁפָּ֛ט עַל־לִבּ֖וֹ בְּבֹא֣וֹ אֶל־הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ לְזִכָּרֹ֥ן לִפְנֵֽי־יְהוָ֖ה תָּמִֽיד׃
Aaron trage alsdann die Namen der Söhne Israels im Brustschilde des Rechtspruches auf seinem Herzen, wenn er hineingeht in das Heiligtum, zur ständigen Erinnerung vor dem Herrn.
Kedushat Levi
Exodus 28,29. “and Aaron will carry the names of the tribes of the Israelites on his heart.”
We need to examine why in this instance the names of the tribes of Israel were so important, when elsewhere it was always the names of the patriarchs Avraham, Yitzchok, and Yaakov that were important to be remembered.
Although our sages point out that the letters of the names of the patriarchs were also represented on the breast plate, (compare Bamidbar rabbah 2,7 and Sh’mot rabbah 38,11) we do not find this spelled out in the text. The text only tells us that the letters of the names of the 12 tribes were engraved on the 12 jewels making up the breastplate.
We have explained that Aaron was chosen as priest from amongst the Children of Israel, (28,10). We must assume that the selection of one out of many refers to the selection of an individual, seeing that he was especially beloved, and this implies normally that by comparison the community at large was relatively despised; in order to counter such an assumption, the Torah commanded that the names of all the tribes be inscribed on the breast plate to show clearly that G’d loved all of them.
We need to examine why in this instance the names of the tribes of Israel were so important, when elsewhere it was always the names of the patriarchs Avraham, Yitzchok, and Yaakov that were important to be remembered.
Although our sages point out that the letters of the names of the patriarchs were also represented on the breast plate, (compare Bamidbar rabbah 2,7 and Sh’mot rabbah 38,11) we do not find this spelled out in the text. The text only tells us that the letters of the names of the 12 tribes were engraved on the 12 jewels making up the breastplate.
We have explained that Aaron was chosen as priest from amongst the Children of Israel, (28,10). We must assume that the selection of one out of many refers to the selection of an individual, seeing that he was especially beloved, and this implies normally that by comparison the community at large was relatively despised; in order to counter such an assumption, the Torah commanded that the names of all the tribes be inscribed on the breast plate to show clearly that G’d loved all of them.
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